Electrical Malfunction
by Aintaru
Summary: (COMPLETE) Mia Quincey was your average young adult, that is, until she gets under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar by accident. With a family to care for and new found powers, how will she adjust when thrown into a world of danger where the Avengers are involved. The story follows Mia's slow adjustment to a new world as well as her attraction towards the famous Captain America.


The whirring of an air tight sealed door hissed as it opened. A young woman with bright green eyes looked around -what appeared to be- the cafeteria of S.H.I.E.L.D. from it's entry. Her auburn hair was messily kept in a bun, strands stuck out at odd angles. She wore simple civilian clothes, a pair of black skinny jeans, a purple and teal striped shirt and matching flats. She had one thumb ring on her left hand and an empty Pandora bracelet.

To the left of the room was a large oval table where the Avengers were situated. Her eyes fell on each and every one of them. The dread in her stomach was making her nauseous, even if her face wasn't showing it. She wasn't a fighter or an agent; she wasn't supposed to be here. Toward the center of the room and far right were some agents who were on break from the looks of it.

Her back stiffened as a hand pushed her into the room, the door closing behind her. Hesitantly, she avoided looking at the Avengers again, hoping she wasn't here because of them. Unfortunate, her prayers went unanswered as Fury's hand landed on her shoulder and led her towards the table where the famous heroes sat in.

"This way." A groan escaped her. Fury moved his hand onto her back again and pushed her near the edge of the table where Tony sat. He was sitting with his legs sprawled out and crossed at the ankles as he reclined back into his chair. "Team, meet your newest member, Mia." That gut wrenching and sickening feeling at the pit of her stomach returned full force. The discontent and vulnerability easily showed on her face as all eyes fell on her. Tony looked at her with a raised eyebrow as Steve looked at her with sympathy. He could tell how uncomfortable she was. Clint and Natasha gave Fury incredulous looks as Thor sat back and crossed his arms. "She'll be your hacker from here on out."

Tony looked at her with skepticism now at Fury's words. The young woman didn't look trained or _nerdy;_ she didn't look experienced with technology either. Yeah, she had a cellphone in her pocket and a Bluetooth headset around her neck, but that didn't mean much.

"Make her feel at home," were Fury's last words as he turned and left the room. The air tight seal hissed again as the door opened and closed behind her somewhere.

Uncomfortably, she made sure to just look either at the table or just straight ahead. She kept her facial expression as blank as she could as she spoke before they had a chance to question and interrogate her. "Look, it's really nice to meet you all but I really don't want to be here." The words were spoken slow as she took a step back and began to turn away from the Avengers.

"And why's that?" The question made her stop mid-stride as she looked back at Hawkeye...

She made eye contact with them all again before she answered with a grim expression. "Death follows you like your best friend."

She turned to leave again, plugging one of her headphones into her ear as she walked towards the locked door. Tony then called after her. "So why are you here, exactly?"

"I accidentally got caught in Fury's radar... and because I also have a 4 year old. I'm an anomaly now." The words were spoken with a bit of bite to them as she looked back one last time. "A freak accident he got a hold of." Remorse ran through her eyes.

Mia walked over to the ID/pass-code activated door. Some of the Avengers looked at her either with boredom, sympathy or pity. Tony still gave her a skeptical look. The door wouldn't open from the inside or out without a key, which she had none. And was Fury doubting his ability to hack?

Everyone stared at her as she hesitantly raised her hand and touched the pad. Her nails barely grazed the surface as electronic glitching sounds came from it. The color and pattern on her finger's changed. Her hand looked like a white circuit board until the door let out tight hiss and opened. She was afraid of what people would think of her now. She glanced at the team from her peripheral vision one last time before she was crashed into.

Her hand quickly returned to normal as her little 4 year old ran into her legs and hugged her. "Moooom! I wanna see the _air_ plane." His raspy little voice emphasized the syllables as clearly as he could. He reached around her belly in height, his brown hair kept short as he looked up at his mom with hopeful hazel eyes.

Mia smiled at her little boy, Rayne, before she looked up and greeted Agent Hill, who was looking after her son. Both ladies smiled and Agent Hill departed. Rayne tugged at her shirt before she picked him up and smiled. "You wanna see the clouds too?"

His face lit up like the brightest of sunny days. "Yes!" He exclaimed before he looked around. His eyes shinned a little bit more as they fell on the Avengers. "Hiii!" He yelled at them from the door. "I'm Rayne Giovanni Quincey and this is my mommy, Mia Quincey."

Most of the group either laughed or waved back at the little kid as Mia turned a little red from embarrassment. Her son was always friendly with everyone. He made sure to _always_ tell everyone their names. "Ok, well say 'bye' now." No matter how quickly she wanted to leave the room, she wasn't going to be rude either.

"Byeeeee! See you all later," yelled Rayne as he waved.

Farewells were yelled back to the little kid as Mia disappeared through the door.

Three months had passed since Mia was recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D. and she had not been assigned any missions. She was beyond grateful for it, she wasn't sure she could ever handle being in the front lines; but, she was assured her job would be from behind a computer anyway.

Regardless of what or when, Fury had made it clear that he would not have her working with the Avengers until she at least learned the basics of self defense. It was easy to tellMia was okay with that. The longer it took her to learn and build a physical endurance the longer it would take for her to actually work with the Avengers. That didn't last very long though. Fury wasn't an idiot so he caught on quickly.

"Are you testing my patience, Agent Quincey?"

"I'm not an agent!" Mia yelled back as she punched one of the many punching bags in the training room.

"So long as you're working here, under my orders, you are." Fury's tone was direct, not leaving her much room to go against him.

Angrily, she continued to punch the bag, pretending it was Fury instead. "I don't even want to be here!"

"Too bad,because last we checked your needs override your wants Quincey. You're part of the team now, so start acting like it. You want to give your son a better future? Then do it for him."

Fury's words finally hit home. She'd do anything for her kid. She'd almost lost him once because of her ex and she wasn't about to let it happen again. Frustration welled within Mia's chest as Fury walked out. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she slid down onto the floor. A quiet sob finally escaped her after trying to hold it in for so long. She was so out of shape. She felt defeated. She felt so broken and alone.

A shuffling of someone's feet as they cleared their throat to make their presence known caught her attention. She looked up and into the baby blue eyes of Captain America. She wasn't exactly embarrassed about her state as she asked him how long he'd been there for.

"Sorry, miss. I heard the whole thing," he said as he slowly walked over to her and placed his gym bag down. She nodded at his answer with hard eyes as he stepped in front of her and knelt.

She ran a hand through her hair before wiping away at her tears. She looked up at him again and gave him a small smile. "I'll be fine, Cap. My head just needs to be in the right place, is all."

"Steve is fine," he gave her a soft smile as well as he extended his hand to help her up. She questioningly looked at his hand before she took it. She was anomaly now, a mutant, but at least she hadn't shocked anyone yet.

She chuckled and proceeded to dust herself afterward. "Only if you stop the whole 'Miss' thing. Mia is fine, besides... I have a kid."

He gave her his signature smile before picking up his gym bag and setting up for his own training. He sat down, watching Mia do some simple exercises he assumed another agent had taught her as he wrapped his hands. Looked like the words Fury spoke to her helped break her out of whatever it was that was conflicting her. "You know, we're not all that bad."

Mia stopped mid punch and steadied the swinging bag before letting her green eyes fall on Steve again. Sweat beaded down her face and chest. "Oh, I know that, silly. It's the near death experiences I can't deal with." She frowned then. "It's hard enough with my brother being a cop, having to worry about him accidentally getting stabbed or shot. If he's gonna make it home or not... With you guys, it's worse!" She shook her head. "It'd be like sentencing myself to a life of hurt if I got close to you all. And I know Fury said I wouldn't be doing any field work, but still! What if I got hacked or caught? What if something were to happen to me? Or to my son because of me?"

She'd never really spoken with Steve before, but his understanding demeanor made it easy to open up to him. Besides, he was Captain America! What the American Dream was all about... He was the fearless leader everyone looked up to. Steve could see all the anguish and torture she was putting herself through. So she was hesitating to be part of the team because she was afraid she'd lose someone. She was also afraid of failing. Steve walked up to her again and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder as he looked down at her. "Then we'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen."

She scoffed but smiled at him regardless. "I don't know if you're just being confident or cocky."

He laughed at her words. "If we're gonna be a team then you need to learn to trust me. Now come one, I can help you learn some more basics if you'd like. Your teacher was pretty sloppy."

Her smile grew as he taught her how to properly place her hands, hunch her shoulders and position her body better. He had examined her own bindings and complimented her in doing a good job. About an hour into the training she finally fell to the floor from exhaustion and he looked at her amused. "I'm not used to this," she said exasperatedly. She had been doing much better than when she first started 3 months ago; but this only proved to her how much more she had to learn. "The internet can only teach you so much!" She raised her head to look at him. "You're a good teacher, Steve."

He smiled at her compliment, his face a bit red either from his workout or embarrassment. Her words seemed to finally register in his head as he tilted it. "The internet?"

Mia smiled sheepishly at him and nodded. "Yeah, you know what it is, right?" He nodded. "I looked up some videos. I'm not so confident about training and stuff like that since I'm pretty lazy." She looked away with a smile at her own words, letting her head fall back on the floor as she tried to slow her breaths. "Books and video games are my thing really. But in a way this is good for me, just means I can chase after Rayne better when he decides to run away from me at the park."

They both laughed at the idea of the situation before he complimented her again. It wasn't often people were half as good when self-teaching themselves without an instructor. She lazily stood up and walked over to her water before taking a long chug out of it. "Well, thanks again Captain! I'll see you around," she smiled and picked up her towel before heading out. "And sorry about my earlier rant, I'm glad it was you I got to talk to."

He was glad he was able to help her as well. Steve noted she was in better spirits as she left the training room.

Another month passed by. Mia found herself seeing more and more of the famous Captain America during her early morning training hours. Seemed like not many people were awake so early in the day. It was fine by her since she found herself relaxed in his company, even getting him to laugh with her poor attempts at jokes and vice versa.

Being in the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier still felt surreal at times to her. It was almost like she had a regular job. She'd do some workouts in the mornings and then head to some tech classes Fury had assigned to her from 10am to 5pm, Monday through Friday. Scratch that, it was like being back in school for her. But other things still bothered her, which is what some of the Avengers got a full view of one day.

"I don't quite _care_ if you don't like it, Agent Quincey." Fury spoke to the young woman outside of his office. "You are stuck here until I say otherwise, so stand down, _Agent._ "

" **No!** " Mia yelled back. "Fuck you, if you think I'm just gonna sit around **here** quietly and pretend to live a normal life! I have a son! He _DESERVES_ to have a normal childhood! To go outside and play with other kids his age! I'm not asking for the world here, _Nick!_ All I'm asking for is to let him go to his fucking _**GRANDMOTHER!**_ For me to see my god damn _mom!_ " Mia's hands seemed to glitch with electrical energy as her face turned red from anger. Her eyes flashed a white as she glared at the director.

"Really, Fury? You're giving her a hard time about seeing her family?" The new voice that broke from behind her made her tense even more before a comforting hand she was familiar with was placed on her shoulder. Mia followed the appendage and frowned upon meeting Steve's face. The last thing she wanted was for him to see her like this, so agitated and angry that she was just ready to lash out at the director.

"This is none of your concern, Stark," Fury groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Au contraire!" Replied the billionaire with his hands in his pocket. Anyone who had the galls to talk to Fury that way automatically deserved his respect. Besides... it was kinda hot when it came from a chick. "You said so yourself a couple of months ago, she's part of the team! And as such, Mia and her son will be moving into Stark Tower with us."

" _I am!?_ ""No, she's not!"

Tony looked back and winked at Mia. He then made a shooing hand gesture as he commented, "Go along kiddies, Mommy and Daddy gotta have a little talk." He then looked at her again. "I'll handle this," he promised her, a sincere look in his eyes. It was a rare look he'd give, one Steve knew he could trust.

Mia looked at Stark with shocked wide eyes, gulped and nodded as Steve agreed and lead her away. Had it not been for Steve's presence she would have probably disagreed and continued the argument with Fury. Once they were far enough from the hallway, Steve let her go. "Come on, let's go pack your things. Knowing Stark, you'll be moving in with your son today."

Mia stopped in the middle of the corridor. So many thoughts ran through her head. Stark Tower. The rest of the Avengers... Being outside again! Steve stopped walking and looked back to see why she wasn't following before he was tackled into a hug. Surprised, he looked down at her shorter form as her shoulders shuttered. A sob racked her body as she whispered 'Thank You' over and over again. Tears fell easily from her face, covering his shirt with how happy and grateful she was. He smiled before tenderly enveloping her in a hug. "You guys barely know me," she cried and looked up at him.

He placed his hand on her shoulder again as he looked her in the eyes. "I don't think time really matters, ma'am. Just where your heart is."

She smiled, also letting the "ma'am" part slide, jumped and hugged him one more time before letting go and running off. She was so happy, so _fucking_ happy! Normally, Mia wasn't one to cuss, but _man_! Did Fury bring out the ugly in people.

In record time, she had two of her own boxes filled with clothing; one containing her shirts and the other her pants. There were another three boxes filled with Rayne's clothing as well. He had _way_ too much clothing compared to her. _But_ , when one had a gay uncle who was a manager at a kid's retail clothing shop, one couldn't expect anything less. Mia stopped, smiled and became giddy all over again! She was going to see her family again! Mind you, it was just her mother and two gay cousins -who'd she come to call her brothers since they were Rayne's 'uncles'- but she was ecstatic. Besides their clothing and shoes, she packed her iPad, Alienware, Super Nintendo, PS1, 2 and 3; as well as the kiddo's LeapPad and refurbished iPhone he used to only play games in. She wasn't crazy, she wouldn't give a child a phone... but since the screen was cracked and the phone was disconnected, he could have it as a toy. Mia was a 24 year old, but that didn't mean she couldn't still play games either.

Once they were done packing, she thanked Steve and sat on the bed. She offered the desk chair or bed space for him to sit on as they waited for Tony. The packing had taken less than 2 hours since she had help and Steve had told her that Tony had originally other plans he needed to discuss with Fury. She nodded and listened to him. It would be weird, moving in with people she didn't really know... But she could shrug her shoulders and just think of them as roommates.

"Where is... _Rayne?_ " She nodded at his pronunciation, telling him he could just call him Gio if he wanted -like everyone else. "Where's your son?"

She smiled. "Daycare. S.H.I.E.L.D. is at least good with that much after taking us from home."

"I don't mean to pry..." Steve let the words hang a little bit before she shook her head.

"You can ask me anything, Steve. I don't mind. You wanna know how we ended up here?" At his nod, she began to explain to him a little about her boring life. There was nothing special to it. She came from a normal family with a normal background. She worked at a retail pharmacy, had an 8 year relationship that failed and a son who hadn't had a father since he was a year and a half. She was a hardworking, single working mom who had amazing friends and family that helped support her. "Well, one day my computer stopped working. So I went to open it up and fix it. I really don't know what happened, or even _how_ it happened. Next thing I know, some freak accident happens and the whole neighborhood is out light a bulb for about 10 minutes. Turns out, my innards fried up like a pastry in China Town too. I was smoking, literal smoke, and frozen in place. Like, paralyzed. My eyes were wide open but I couldn't move." Mia shrugged. "Couple hours later, my cousin Kris comes home after picking up Rayne from daycare and yells. He starts freaking out because, as he describes it, there was this white glowing alien on the living room floor."

Mia laughed at the memory before she scratched her cheek shyly. "Well, needless to say. The cops got called, but at that point my body had turned back to normal. Kris was still freaking out, but once the cops left and I reassured him I was the only one that was home the entire time, Kory, my cousin's partner, got home. They were all very cautious too about touching me after I told them how I got zapped. Being the stubborn person I am, I never got it checked out. As far as I know, I could have died from that much electricity too. And they wouldn't let Rayne near me for about 3 days! It was maybe about two months or so after that... that I started noticing these weird glitches when I was near any techy stuff. Specifically anything connected to WiFi or the internet." She paused, making sure he understood what she was talking about before she continued. "Well, one night, I stayed up reading stories on my phone and fell asleep. Next thing I know, I'm flying!" She shook her head and hands as she spoke. "But not literally, it was like a dream or something. Turns out I was navigating the internet..." Mia then made a face. "I didn't know what was happening or what I was doing. I was subconsciously hacking stuff, information. Sometimes it was _big_ stuff. Secret information I'd come across. The first couple of months, I had no clue how to control it. It took me a good 5 months to figure it out. By then, I figured out I could do it while I was awake too! By physically touching stuff. So in a way, it's like I'm now a walking, talking computer. But yeah, that's pretty much how Fury found me. I don't really have any superpowers to zap people or something, though it'd be cool," she laughed.

Steve smiled at her and digested the information fairly easily. "You've come to terms with it then?"

Mia looked at him and cocked her head to the side pensively. "Yeah... in the beginning I was skeptical about it, ya' know? About everything. How I was going to be considered a freak. How my son could have been taken from me, my friends could have left me... How I wasn't going to be able to function properly. But thankfully, I have an awesome safety net." She smiled as she reminisced about her family and friends. "I'm still a bit iffy about how people are gonna look at me versus getting to know me, but that's normal I guess." He agreed with her one last time before they were both called back to Fury's office.

To say she was beyond speechless was an understatement. "I have the whole _floor_ to myself?"

"Well, yeah. Every one has their own room here." Tony said it like it was the most normal of topics as Rayne ran past them to go explore.

Currently the trio, plus Rayne, found themselves in Stark Tower. Tony had kept to his word, like he had previously mentioned, and was just about hugged to death by Mia. After repeating over and over how it was 'totally cool' with him and that 'he was happy to help anyone that would yell at Fury the way she did,' they safely made it back to her new home. Turns out, the floor was decked out for her and her little one. Tony had asked Pepper to work on and remodel the floor plans these last couple of months to his specifications. Smaller and shorter safety rails were near any of the glass windows and balcony. He had installed dial pads on them as well, so she could go outside or function inside properly without having to worry about her son going or jumping out. A small playroom was even adjusted for Rayne. This was, by far, the nicest of things that had ever been done for her. And when Mia finally met pepper, she couldn't stop hugging her either. The 24 year old was really like a child at heart as she looked around the room.

"I take it you like it then?"

"Like it? I love it!" She was still in awe as Steve and her walked in, carrying some of her boxes and placing them in the living room area she'd now be occupying. "I don't know how to thank you for this." She looked back at Tony with a smile permanently etched to her face.

"Well, you'll still be learning about technology and stuff, per Fury, so you can thank me by helping me and J.A.R.V.I.S. with my research."

"The correct term is 'J.A.R.V.I.S. and I,' sir," the computer corrected its' creator, to which Steve and Mia chuckled.

"Whatever." Tony smiled.

She mocked Tony with a half assed salute. "Gladly, sir."

"Oh, no. None of that 'sir' stuff. That was my father. You can just call me Tony." He winked at her before he said his farewell and dismissed himself. He'd give her time to readjust before driving her nuts like he did with the rest of the Avengers. Having a child here was also going to be interesting.

Five months had passed since Mia moved in with the Avengers and she was now 25. She got to befriend all of them fairly easily. They were all pretty smitten with her son too. He wasn't the best of children nor was he the worse, but he was -thankfully- pretty easy to keep entertained. The one time Tony said he'd take care of the little tyke while Mia went out to do some shopping, she came back to find both of them playing Sonic Adventures on the projection wall. Thor had taken Rayne to the park once and it was hilarious when they both came back scratched and bruised. Even Steve stayed around when there were no missions, keeping Mia and Rayne company, especially for her homemade dinners. He felt very comfortable around the small family. She didn't really seem to mind that they were all superheroes or that he was some bio engineered soldier from the past. Heck, she didn't really 'fangirl,' a word she had taught him, over pretty much anything but the latest video game she was interested in. And even though she was now considered a mutant, she lived happily like a normal young woman who's life had never changed.

The past couple months didn't go without work for her either. Steve always made sure to keep his eye out for her well being, as well as her son's. She was definitely a hard worker, and she was determined to become the hacker the team needed. If she wasn't in the lab with Tony then she was hooked to J.A.R.V.I.S. via ethernet cables. If she wasn't with Clint, Natasha or Steve learning combat and strategy she'd be studying quietly in the lab with Bruce, whom she had met last.

Bruce was definitely the slowest for her to befriend and it wasn't because he scared her. No. It was because he was scared of the rapid new change of having a curious 4 year old running around. Mia had assured him that so long as he was firm and didn't let Rayne walk over him, his projects would be safe... But then she went to mention why Rayne would be in the lab to begin with. Small conversations like such helped ease the tender giant, accepting her gladly to the team.

Tony had even gone far enough to contact some professor for the gifted about Mia's condition. Once it was confirmed it was a permanent mutation made to her genes, they expanded on trying to learn what else she could be able to do. It did not need to be spoken out loud that all the experiments, where Tony was involved, were not safe. Since Steve had started taking a rather protective view on Mia, they began to do research in secret. It was during one of these Stark Secret Days, they called S.S.D.s, that Steve walked into the lab to see her hooked up in a weird fashion. Two giant computer towers were behind her as she stood between the two. She had on some weird type of helmet, almost like a motorcycle's full-face type. It had a reflective glare to it, allowing her to see inside and out similar to Tony's Iron Man suits. Holograms and digital projections were all around her as she appeared to float in the center. Her whole body had become white with circuitry flashing throughout it. With either the flick or twitch of a muscle or eye, she could change what she was seeing, channeling at least five to six different screens all at once.

All the knowledge the internet had to offer ran through her brain all at once, and yet, none of it did. Thanks to, if Tony remembered correctly, Professor Xavier, she was able to channel only what she was looking for. Great progress was being made. Until Steve came in that is.

The tower's lights flickered on and off for about 10 seconds before she landed back on the floor, her skin back to normal as she sheepishly looked at Steve after taking the helmet off.

"What was that?" Tony ignored Capsicle's presence as he questioned both Mia and J.A.R.V.I.S. as he went to analyze the data.

Mia shrugged before she walked over towards Tony and the screen he was looking at. She reviewed the video with him as Steve walked up behind her and looked over her shoulder. "Looks like I lost concentration," she muttered to Tony.

"Is this even safe?" Steve's voice, suddenly too close from what she last remembered, made her jump and bump her knee into the table as she turned around. She glared at Tony who snickered before she looked at Steve.

"Yes.""Of course!"

Both Mia and Tony looked at each other as Steve narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Ever since Mia had moved into the tower, she had become Tony's new partner in crime when it came to being explosive, curious, sneaky and tricky. "J.A.R.V.I.S.?"

"It appears the distraction of a new presence in the room caused a sudden power surge of about 10%. Mia's vitals and statistics seem to be all in order."

"Distraction, huh?" Tony wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at Mia who turned completely red and punched him.

"If anything here isn't safe, it's Tony!" Mia exclaimed as she walked away from the two men, face a beet red color.

Tony quickly analyzed the situation before he smirked. He wasn't just a billionaire, he was a genius too. Of course Mia's back was to him, so she wasn't able to see the glint in his eye either. "Well, if Capsicle here was a distraction could you imagine the power outage we'd have if he'd come in with his shirt off?"

Electricity crackled on the tips of Mia's auburn hair as she grabbed her book. "Bye Tony!" She gritted and pretty much ran out of the room, her face still a nice shade of red and pink.

Steve was a bit confused on what just happened. Deciding to not question Tony about it he followed her out instead. "Mia! Wait," he called after her as she was speeding down the hall.

Mia bit her lip and slowed her pace. Steve caught up to her easily with his large strides as they entered the elevator together. Her face was still a pink shade as he looked at her. "Did I- Did I say or do something wrong?"

Mia's eyes widened and she quickly looked up. "No, no! God, no." She waved her hands rapidly and dismissively. "It's just Tony being Tony... you know?" She asked hopefully as she tried to drop the subject.

Steve smiled at her as the ding announced their arrival and they exited the elevator. She could tell he wanted to talk more, so she remained quiet as he followed her into the kitchen and sat near the island as she dropped her book and went to wash her hands and pick up her hair. "How's your training coming along?"

"It's coming," she answered truthfully as she began prepping some lunch. "Though I feel more confident about it when I'm alone from the looks of it." She pouted as she took out some eggs from the fridge. "Normally, if it's just Tony or Bruce, I'm okay." She looked up at Steve and noticed his brows furrow. "Not that I don't love your company or anything!" She quickly tried to add. "I love it, really." She placed her hand over his in a friendly manner and squeezed it. He smiled back at her as he placed his other hand on top.

"I'm glad," he spoke as he looked into her eyes.

Seconds ticked as she smiled... and stared... and then became a nice scarlet color once more. "So, yeah!" She exclaimed as she released herself and turned back around to start cooking. A small frown appeared on Steve's face as her back faced him; but, it disappeared quickly at her next words. "You're staying for lunch with me, right?" She looked back over her shoulder and saw him nod. She smiled some more and went around the kitchen. About fifteen minutes later, she had made two subs, one larger than the other, with; provolone and American cheese, ham, turkey, mayo, fried eggs, salad, tomatoes, salt and pepper with fries on the side.

They ate quietly; Steve feeling self conscious about how much he ate and Mia chuckling at his behavior and reassuring him it was fine. "You are a growing boy after all," she winked at him as they laughed.

After lunch, Steve helped her pick up and do dishes before Tony called her back down to the lab. "Well," she saluted Steve jokingly. "Duty calls," she said in a sing-song voice as they entered the elevator and split ways.

Upon reaching her destination, both Tony and Mia got straight to work. She easily got hooked up once more, complaining about making it wireless, and her physical form changing. Unknown to the poor young woman, Tony wasn't going to let the whole distraction from earlier slide. He was going to use it as a way to improve her concentration. About an hour into the hacking training program Tony had made for her, he walked over to one of the screens connected to her computers before he typed in some coding.

Out of nowhere, a picture of Steve Rogers in nothing but a towel, freshly out of the shower, popped up on her screen. The whole tower lost power as she yelped from the huge electrical power surge that flashed before her eyes as she threw the helmet off. Electricity sparked everyone, on and off of her as she yelled. "FUCK!" Her skin was still a glowing white as she stared at Tony in shock; said man laughed in the background as the power generator kicked in about 3 minutes later. Her skin slowly returned to normal as she pointed an accusing finger at him. "Fuck you, Anthony Edward Stark!"

Tony continued to snicker as he regained himself over his desk. "You should look at your face," he laughed again. "You're such a prude, Mia." Embarrassed beyond all recognition, she walked up to Tony and punched his arm. Instantly, Tony fell back almost fried to death as she yelled again in fright!

"J.A.R.V.I.S.!" She cried as she backed away from Tony, tears running down her eyes at what she could have possibly accidentally done. Before the words were out of her mouth, Bruce ran into the lab. He looked around wildly until his eyes fell on an unconscious Tony. He skidded over to the man of iron and checked his pulse before looking back at Mia.

"It's ok, Mia. He's alive, he's breathing." He tried to reassure the young woman who'd become a crying mess.

Only a couple seconds later, Thor, Clint and Steve came into the lab. Confused at what was going on, Steve tried walking over towards Mia before she yelled at him. "No! Just stay away! Just stay the _fuck_ away from me!" Steve looked hurt by her words before Clint steered the Captain away. He'd been in the vents when the accident happened and heard it. Tears of desperation ran down her face as she hopelessly sat on the floor and looked at Tony's body. "I almost _killed_ him!"Mia hugged her legs closer to her chest as she sobbed. "I almost shocked him to death," she whispered brokenly as she sobbed, her eyes quickly becoming red and puffy as more tears fell from her eyes.

Steve and Clint looked helplessly before going over towards Bruce and helping them carry Tony to one of the medical tables near another lab. Thor remained behind and slowly approached her. She was like a caged animal, crying and almost destroyed on the inside. She flinched and looked up with fear when she felt Thor's strong hand on her shoulder. Electricity rolled off of her in strong waves and into Thor easily as he looked down at her sad green eyes. He knelt down next to her before pulling her into one of his signature bear hugs. His size was quite larger than hers, so with a little maneuvering, he was able to mold her to him better as he ran his fingers through her shocking hair. "It is alright, Lady Mia. Let out your anguish," he whispered to her, the human girl he had adopted as a sibling, as she sobbed louder.

It was at least an hour or two later that she had thanked Thor for putting up with her childish behavior. She was never such a crybaby, and lately, she'd cried a good couple of times this year already. Thor reassured her repeatedly that the man of iron would be okay and that she had nothing to worry about. But this latest show in power only made her worry more. What if that had been her son? What if she had actually killed Tony?

Bruce came into the lab they were in before clearing his throat and letting her know Tony was fine and that he wanted to see her. Mia froze and looked at Thor who nodded at her. "You are not shocking me anymore, Lady Mia. You are safe to go around the others now," he explained.

"Can you... can you just come with me? Just in case?" Thor nodded and followed the doctor and Mia out into another lab room where Tony laid comfortably with a scotch in hand.

Mia snorted at her bewilderment and his audacity to just drink it off. His hair looked funny and a little crispy on the ends before his eyes fell on her and he smiled. "Well, if it isn't my little Zettabyte, cause you know, Yottabyte isn't as pretty sounding." Tears brimmed in Mia's eyes as Tony joked and opened his arms. "Come here, don't leave me hanging," he said before she ran into his arms and hugged him tightly.

"I'm _so_ sorry!"

"Shhh, shhh. It's ok, doll face. It wasn't your fault," Tony spoke to her gently as she pulled back and checked him over after they exchanged a couple more words.

"That's right, it's _your_ fault," Bruce gave Tony a disapproving look as Tony rose his eyebrow in question. "I had J.A.R.V.I.S. show me the surveillance video. What exactly did you show her?"

The question stopped Mia right in her tracks as she looked around the room. Guilt ate at her limbs as she recalled how she was acting earlier. She gave Thor one last reassuring squeeze that she'd be okay before she politely excused herself and ran off. She didn't want to be there for the conversation that was to follow in the lab as she made it to the elevator. She quickly pushed the buttons, wishing the machine would move faster before the ding announced it's arrival. She hurried inside and pressed the button she knew to be Steve's floor. She'd never been to his floor now that she thought about it and it ate at her already fried nerves. What if he was angry with her? What if he didn't want to see her? She frowned. She'd never been one to push things off for too long, unless it was training a couple months back. But not people.

The elevator finally stopped on his floor and opened with it's signature 'ding.' She took in a deep breath and tried to steel herself as she set a careful foot into his place. She felt like an intruder as she softly padded further in and called out his name. No answer came and after about 3 minutes of searching, she came close to what she guessed was his room. The running of a shower could be heard as she knocked on his bedroom door and pushed it open after no answer came. She bit her lip as she walked in. Emotions ran a speedy drum cycle in her belly as her chest tightened. She quietly walked up to the bathroom door and just stared at it, like it was going to suddenly bite her or something.

She swallowed her nervousness and knocked on his door before she chickened out and ran back to her floor. What sounded like a bar of soap hitting the floor came from within as the curtain was pulled aside. "Hello?" Steve questioned uncertainly.

She held her breath. "H-Hey... Steve?"

"Mia?" Came his incredulous reply. "Um, one moment please."

"Yeah. Um, take your time... I'll... I'll just wait out here." She felt the temperature on her face get hot. She should have thought about her reply before speaking it out loud. What was she gonna do? Go in there to talk to him? She let her forehead fall on the door at her stupidness before turning and looking around. If there was anything she noticed about Steve Rogers, besides his steaming tight abs that Tony so graciously showed her earlier, it was his tidiness. She didn't want to say he was uptight, though to Tony he might as well be.

She let her gaze fall around the room a little more before she defeated sat on his bed. She sat back and allowed her feet to swing back and forth as she waited for him to come out.

Finally, the squeaking of the shower being turned off greeted her ears as her mind ran off with images well suited for a Rated R movie. She quickly turned scarlet pink again and groaned as she hunched forward and placed her face in her hands. _This_ was not the reason she was here. She kept berating and telling herself to calm down. Cap had been a great friend and moral support for her these past 6 months. And how she'd treated him earlier was uncalled for... Even if she was just trying to protect him.

The door to the bathroom opened silently. Steve stood in the doorway with the towel draped around his shoulders as he looked at the distraught young woman sitting on his bed. He cleared his throat, making her slowly look up through her fingers before she let her hands fall to her lap. A mixture of emotions ran through her green eyes as they locked gazes.

Mia couldn't help herself as she let her eyes trail over him, something he didn't fail to notice. He swallowed, following her eyes. Steam billowed out of the bathroom door behind him as some droplets still clung to his skin. He was in a simple pair of gray gym sweats and a white tee that left nothing to the imagination. "You... um. You look _nice._ " She started off, albeit a bit awkwardly before she tried to recover quickly. "What am I saying? Look, Steve. I'm sorry about earlier," she stood up abruptly and walked a couple of steps towards him. She noticed how he furrowed his eyebrows at her words. The last thing she wanted was for him to distance himself away from her. "I-I didn't mean to say those things to you the way I did. I was scared, okay?" She dropped her arms and head before she whispered, "I still am. I just- I just didn't want to hurt you, Steve."

He sighed and walked over to her, easily bringing her into a surprised hug, even to himself. There was a small tingling sensation wherever his bare flesh touched hers. She quickly wound her arms around him and tightened her hold, her face nuzzled his chest as she breathed him in. He smelled heavenly and it calmed her greatly to know he wasn't upset with her. To know she wouldn't be shocking him like she did Tony. A shudder escaped her body as she held in another sobfest. She was tired of crying, she'd already done that for about two hours with Thor earlier. "I understand,Mia," Steve finally replied as he caressed her back. He finally pulled back and took one of her hands into his own. He lifted her chin with his free hand and made him look at her. He could still see some worry and guilt eating at her. But he saw the stubbornness in her as well. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Her mind reeled back quickly and he noticed her face and chest become red. "Um," she swallowed thickly and looked up toward the ceiling. " _Sure_." She elongated the pronunciation. It wasn't something she wanted to really do, but she _needed_ to. He proceeded to lead her to the edge of the bed where they both sat down. He continued to hold her one hand and whether he was conscious about it or not, she wasn't going to mention it. It had a calming effect that helped her. She was grateful he wasn't prying her for information... yet. He gave her time to organize her thoughts and emotions before she looked him in the eyes. "I like you, and because I like you Tony thought it would be funny to play a prank and show me a picture of you in a towel after taking a shower." His jaw fell a bit open as he digested her words, but before he could put a word in Mia continued. "So apparently my powers become unstable when I'm either an emotional wreck, get distracted or both... In this case it was enough to make the whole tower have a power outage. So when I punched him, playfully mind you, I kinda zapped the life out of him..." Her eyes looked off as she remembered what happened not many hours ago and recoiled a bit.

Steve squeezed her hand a bit, making her come back to the present time and look at him again. He seemed a little pink in the face but was otherwise pulling it off okay. "So, you like me?" His voice was low and unsure as he asked her the question.

Mia looked at him in shock before she laughed, a little nervously. "Is that all you caught, Steve?" She shook her head and smiled playfully. "Don't answer that." She tried shrugging off the topic as best she could before she stood up. "And that's that. You walked in on me crying my eyes out cause I thought I killed Tony. Now that he's not dead, I think I might just try to for giving me a near death experience and having me yell at you."Mia tried to give him another smile and let go of his hand but it appeared he had another idea in mind as she became red once again. Whatever burst of courage she had was slowly diminishing and he wasn't letting her go!

Awkwardly, she stood there and looked at him as he remained quiet. Well, shit. Maybe she should have just stayed quiet if this was gonna be the case. Mia always tried to keep a professional air about home and work life, but Steve was making it a bit hard since she moved in. With all the breakfast, lunch and dinners they shared privately within the confines of her own floor, the way he'd always make sure to help her with anything and everything, the way he was when Rayne was around. He was just too much of gentleman, and those were just _some_ reasons as to why she liked him. But now..."Um, Steve," she paused as he looked at her green eyes again. She'd melt if she could because he had such a soft and vulnerable expression adorning his face; but, she pushed herself forward not wanting to make this any more theatrical than it was already becoming. "Can I have my hand back now?" Her voice was soft as she glanced at their entwined hands and then down at the floor.

"I... I kinda like it in my own," he finally managed to say to her. After much thought and analyzing, he could come to the safe conclusion that he was willing to try something new with her.

An unintelligent 'oh' escaped her mouth as it stayed open. A huge grin slowly grew on her face before she drew close and pecked his cheek. The contact was intrusive though gladly accepted, but the shock made him release her hand. It was enough for her to quickly pull back, smile and run out of the room with a lame 'see ya'.

Steve sat on his bed for a couple more minutes, stupefied with what just happened. The ding of the elevator caught his attention before her voice rang through his floor. "I'll see you at dinner."

It was nearing the end of November now. Another two and a half months had passed from that life threatening accident Tony has been in. Rayne's 5th birthday was around the corner and Mia was going nuts trying to get the last finishing touches to the Sonic Adventure decorations he wanted 'oh-so-badly.' Mia had made it a point with 'uncle' Tony that even though she lived and ate at Stark Tower, that she'd want to continue working to earn her keep. He, of course, 'agreed.' It was all under the pretense that she would just 'work' for him in the lab, but she didn't need to know that. Tony was glad to have her there.

Steve and Mia hadn't really spoken about what happened that day either, though they both seemed to smile or shine more in the presence of the other. It wasn't an exactly well kept secret that the two liked each other; not that they were even trying to keep it a secret to begin with. Tony was the only one that really fussed about it and just yelled at them to hurry up and kiss or something... Normally his suggestions fell into the 'or something' category that left Mia pink and chuckling while consoling an embarrassed Stars and Stripes. Because of that, Tony resorted to calling him 90-Year-Old-Virgin all over again, much to Steve's chagrin. Thankfully,Mia would normally laugh it off, pat his knee comfortingly and come up with some witty remark about Tony's unstable relationship status that would make him shut up for at least 3 days.

During the past couple of months, they were able to call up Professor Xavier again and send Mia to study for one week each calendar period. There she learned more about her evolving powers and how she could not only manipulate data but electricity now as well. The professor had done some type of meditation with her that helped her regain some of the balance she was missing not so long ago. Upon her departure, he had kindly told her that if she'd ever need of him or his friends and colleagues, to just 'think very hard.' She was also welcomed with open and warm arms whenever she wished. On the days she was studying at the institute, Rayne was either having fun with the Avengers or with his grandmother, Lee. That was another topic all on it's own as well. Mia's mom.

When Lee, who's real name was actually Angela, first found out about her baby girl having a near death experience, she cried. Said it was 'A Miracle of God' that she was alive and that 'God kept her safe for a reason'. Lee was a little uncomfortable with the idea of having Gio, who she refused to call Rayne, living in what could have been an unstable environment. She thought all the Avengers to be crazy people at first, though she wasn't too far off. But after flying her up to New York from Florida for a week, gramma left with a piece of mind that both her babies were in safe hands. No one but Tony and Pepper had actually met her mother all those months ago. They had kept in contact through Skype though, so Mia was able to talk to her mom often, as well as present the rest of the Avengers to her as well. It was like Mia's little gossip time with her baby boy and mom. Of course, Rayne would spill all the beans too. He was at that age where he repeated and said everything he heard and tried. Both Mia and Lee were a little teary eyed back in late August when he started VPK for the first time. Mia was happy none the less. Her baby boy was growing up. And Steve Rogers was gladly there, with her at the bus stop to see him off.

Mia hair had grown increasing longer and at an alarmingly fast rate because of her new abilities, but it was also frizzier because of the 'shock therapies' she was undergoing. The 'shock therapies' consisted of her being wired up to a battery or generator, depending on how adventurous she and Tony felt on a S.S.D.. It was to help numb her to any electrical charges that could interfere with her work. Mia was cutting off about half an inch to an inch of her hair each month because of this. She didn't want to look like Mufasa by the end of the year.

Her current schedule still consisted of hacking classes; a much more 'Tony Stark Advanced Classes' type. Training with any of the Avengers but Thor, who'd only ever give her pointers and watch. Strategy planning and chess games. Having her use the machine they dubbed 'The Red Queen' -after watching a Resident Evil film- while there were complete disturbances of loud music or gunshots one day, or complete silence on others. The training was to help her focus. God forbid the team was ever in a tight spot where they needed her fully concentrated to get them out and someone walked in on her. The training, though vigorous, was actually kind of fun for Mia. She'd compare it to Galaga sometimes. And now that Steve knew what had caused her to malfunction the first time, he had made it a point to visit at random intervals and make sure she didn't break concentration. Though, he'd try to distract her as much as he could afterward with dinners or a night time stroll on his bike.

Mia could still remember the nerve shattering experience she felt when she first rode the motorcycle with Steve. The nervousness she had felt soon turned invigorating once the speed was picked up. Though she had really, _really,_ wanted to throw her arms out in joy, she secretly just enjoyed holding onto him instead. It was a secret he enjoyed as well.

A clatter brought Mia out of memory lane as she looked around for the cause of the noise. Before she could stop herself, she stepped on one of Rayne's toys, slipped and fell forward, hitting the hard wall with her face. The hard wall rumbled as a pair of arms helped steady her. Her eyes looked at a well defined set of pectorals she easily recognized before she met with baby blue eyes. "Hello," she cooed sheepishly.

"Hello to you as well,Mia." She smiled as Steve called her by her name, something that didn't happen often.

She used the current situation to her advantage and hugged him while looking up, bringing her body closer to his. "What brings you to this side of Lego-land?" She smiled some more as a little voice yelled 'Captain' in the background.

Steve looked down at her lovingly before another, smaller, pair of arms wrapped around his legs. He greeted the little boy and picked him up with one arm as he heldMia with the other. "Are you being good for your mom today?"

"Hmmmmm. Lemme think." The little boy made a pondering face, bringing his stubby little fingers to his chin. "Yup!" He smiled at Steve. "Right, mom?"

Mia smiled at her little man. "Right," she nodded. "He helped me with clea-

"Yeah, yeah. I cleaned up my toys and then, and then mommy gave me some juice. And I had _soda_ today!" The little boy exclaimed with both his hands thrown into the air. "Do you want to play Sonic _Ud'_ venture with me?" He asked Steve wistfully.

"No, no, baby. Captain's here to see mommy. Okay?"Mia poked her son's nose, who giggled as he got tickled by Steve and set back down.

"Okay, mommy." Just as he went to turn back around and run into the living room, the kid got another idea. "Wanna watch me play Sonic 'Ventures? Pleeeeeeease?"

Mia sighed before she nodded. It would at least keep Rayne quietly entertained while Steve and her spoke, no matter how bad that may have sounded. Rayne quickly ran back, grabbed both his mom and Steve by the hand and dragged them to the living room. Once everyone was situated and comfortable, Rayne engrossed himself onto the PS3 as his markers and crayons littered a corner of the floor. Mia quickly interrupted Rayne in his playing to pick up before he continued to with Sonic. Grudgingly, the little boy complied with his mom's wishes and went back to playing his game.

Once he was settle,Mia looked at Steve who sat patiently next to her with a smile on his face as he looked at Rayne. She looked at him a little longer before she cleared her throat to catch his attention.

Steve's gaze fell on her before he became serious. "It's been almost a year since your training started with S.H.I.E.L.D.. I've been the one keeping Fury informed on your progress, as you've always known."Mia furrowed her eyebrows at the direction the conversation was going. She then made a face for him to continue, that she was listening to him. "Do you think you're ready?"

Mia froze. Her first mission as part of the Avengers... She looked at Rayne, at the TV and then back at Steve. She knew what her answer would be as she nodded her head. "Do you?"

Steve nodded his head as well. "I do, which is why you'll have your first mission next week, on the 18th."

Mia's eyes widened. "The 18th?" She repeated in disbelief.

"Yes."

"Four days before Rayne's birthday?"

Steve scratched the back of his head as he looked at her. "Yes."

"And there was no way to hold or speed this up?"Mia was skeptical. "How long is this mission going to take? My mom's flying up here with my cousins from Florida next week. It's too close to the date, what if I get distracted? Wha-

Steve gently placed his finger on her lips and silenced her and her overbearing worries. "Always thinking a mile ahead," he shook his head and smiled at her. She raised her hands to his and held it on her lap as she looked down. "Hey," he tried to coax her, using his other hand to lift her chin. "Look at me," he spoke softly. She did as told and bit her bottom lip. "You're not gonna miss Rayne's birthday."

She sighed as she moved her chin forcefully away from his hand and looked down at their entwining fingers. "How do you know?"

"Because I'm not gonna miss it either."

Mia rose a delicate eyebrow at his answer and then looked at him through narrowed eyes. "You're coming," she asked with a little bit of disbelief to her tone.

"Of course. I'll be directing and overseeing our progress." He smiled a little as he saw her relax at the news.

"Oh." She paused before looking up at him and punching his arm playfully. "You couldn't have told me that first? You almost gave me a heart attack," she whined as she fell further back into the couch. Steve laughed before rubbing her knuckles with his thumb.

"I'm sorry-

"Nope. You're gonna have to do better than that. That's the third time you've pulled that 'bad news before good news' crap on me."Mia huffed as she crossed her arms under her chest.

"Mia," Steve warned.

"What?"

Steve's eyes fell on Rayne before they fell back on Mia. "Right! _Language._ " She then turned as much of her body as she could, giving Steve her back. It didn't take him long to place both his hand on her hips as he brought her closer and began to tickle her. Mia yelled and squirmed in laughter. God damn him for finding out she was ticklish everywhere! "Steve! NO! _NOOO!"_ She bucked and thrashed around, her son laughing in the background at his mother's misfortune before she fell onto a rather compromising position on top of Steve.

Both of her hands were on his shoulders, holding herself up as his were pretty much molded to her waist. One of her knees was stuck between the couch and his hip, the other between his legs. Mia stared into his eyes for a long moment before they trailed down his strong facial features. Her eyes fell on his lips before she looked back up at him, a small shutter running down her back at the feel of his warmth. His eyes seemed to darken now that they were so close to each other, her hair easily fanning around him like a curtain. "Can I just-"Mia left her question hanging as she brought herself closer to him and sliding her arms behind his neck.

Steve's chest moved with each breath he took as he looked into her own dark green eyes. One of his hands moved to the swell of her lower back as their lips finally touched. They closed their eyes at the contact. She pulled away a quick second later, not letting him fully enjoy it, before she moved her position and sat on him instead. She gently planted her lips atop his own as he guided her weight down.

The sensation was electrifying to both of them. It gave her a head rush and contact how at how blissfully smooth his lips were; how full they were. Whatever bit of shyness he may have had vanished with the tender kiss they bestowed upon each other.

Her lips were soft and luscious, just like he had imagined, and sweet! The kiss was also short and sweet; and it was quickly interrupted by a soon-to-be 5 year old who wanted a share on the lovey-dovey moment. Mia sat smiling like an idiot on Steve's lap as she showered her son with multiple kisses all over his face... until he ran away from the tickling raspberry she blew towards the end.

Mia sat back, bringing Steve's arms around her as she looked up at him. Obviously, she was the more experienced of the two, so it was easy for him to follow along as she guided him. She looked at him lovingly as a smile spread across her lips. "That was nice," she commented offhandedly, as if it was an everyday occurrence. He laughed at her attempt at not making him feel awkward and was grateful; it was working."Mom's gonna be excited," she snickered as she looked back down towards the TV.

"Your _mom_ knows?" He was at a loss on how to proceed from here. The times had changed so drastically from when he was... used to be around.

Mia looked back up at him and kissed his cheek. "Of course she knows I like you. She's my mom! And don't worry,"Mia whispered like it was the most secret of information she was about to divulge. "She likes you too."Steve smiled down at Mia as she winked at him, bringing him down for one more kiss which he happily obliged.

The kiss felt like a minty fresh heaven to Mia. Tasted like it too! Though she wouldn't push his boundaries to anything other than kissing for now. Steve brought her closer to him as a sigh escaped her lips. He smiled at her reaction before releasing her lips and reclining further into the couch with Mia in his arms.

"So," Here came her dead joke, so he braced himself for it. "You know I have a kid, right?"

Steve laughed as he hugged her. "Yes, ma'am. I'm quite aware." He smiled down at her with his shinning blue eyes as she reached up and patted his hair down.

"Good. Just wanted to make sure."

Bullets ricocheted all around Mia in a vicious cycle as she hid behind a desk. She was able to perfectly see her attacker through the visor like glasses Tony had custom made for her. She was hacked into every electrical wall and outlet as well as all the computers and cameras the building had to offer. With a precision she gained from Agent Hill and Hawkeye as her mentors, she shot her assailant's hand. Though she found out she could hack J.A.R.V.I.S. too, so he really helped with trajectory and aim as well.

" _Zetta? Hang on, we're coming for you!_ "

"I'm OK," she spoke into her receiver without having to press any buttons; a bonus that came with her weird powers. "I've only got one target here."Mia looked at the male standing by the door frame as he yelled in agony. "And maybe an injured arm, but I'm fine!" Quickly, she took a hold of some wires that were wrapped around her one thigh and landed an electrifying voltage onto her assailant; rendering the man unconscious. Tony had also specially made a conductor type whip for her that she could amplify, in the case that there was ever no electricity for her to hack into. Though it's main purpose was for close combat and self defense.

"Captain! HYDRA weapon's in the last level. Stark, I need a distraction. Sending you coordinates. Hawkeye, there are three on ground coming towards you."Mia spoke as she used the cameras to look around before she closed off the room she was currently in; and, then she barricaded the door with anything she could find. Chairs, desks, cabinets; she moved them all as she continued to hack one of HYDRA'S systems.

All three of the men gave her their confirmations and moved as told. Mia kept her 'eye' out in case shit hit the fan as she intercepted any outgoing data or signals that could alert HYDRA'S main headquarters of the disturbance happening here. Thanks to J.A.R.V.I.S.'s idea,Mia was also able to set up a temporary satellite image of the area, so as not to raise any suspicion. She cut off any and all electric communications the enemy may have had as she diligently worked on hacking the cell in which their new weapon was being mass produced. After a couple more sweaty moments of having to wait, she sighed happily. "Captain, I'm sending you the codes to the storage room. To the far right of the room, last wall, there is going to be a red switch. Once you're there, and listen carefully Steve Rogers or so help you god I'll kill you myself, you're gonna leave your headset there and run out as quickly as possible. I can give you about 4 minutes before it self destructs and causes a chain reaction big enough to have The Hulk for breakfast, got it?"

" _What about you?"_

"Don't worry about me, Cap. I'll have a ride waiting outside the window once he's done 'distracting' the enemy. Right, Stark?"

 _"You got it, doll face."_

Mia sighed. "Steve?"A grunt was heard before he replied. More than likely he was running into some enemies. "You run like a bat out of hell from there, you hear me?"

 _"Yes, ma'am. Make sure to stick to orders, Zetta."_ He called her by the moniker Tony had picked out a couple months back. He had explained to her the troubles of living a celebrity life, and to keep her identity a secret. Nothing a Disney movie hadn't covered for her before, she remembered joking.

If she could see his face, she knew he'd be smiling at her with his confidence. The whirring of soft jets caught her attention before a loud explosion sounded near her, making her ears buzz for a moment. "The cavalry arrived for me," she told Steve, so that he knew she was safe and getting out as Tony appeared floating on the other side of the rubble. He held out his hand as she jumped into his arms and flew them away and towards Hawkeye. She could have kissed the ground right then and there... had she still not been so high up. Flights and heights didn't do too well with her when she didn't have a harness, but she'd suck it up for now.

 _"Zetta, I'm in. Starting countdown in 3."_

 **2.**

1.

Mia counted the seconds, using her visor to keep a visual on Steve's progression out of the building. She computed and analyzed all the statistics again before she shouted in despair. Tony and Clint looked at Mia questioningly. "His survival chance just dropped to 81% and it's still going!"Mia's voice rose frantically before she saw Tony quickly fly off. Being hooked to the internet gave her many tricks she could use, but she was currently not liking the survival rate option she had chosen.

Mia's heart pounded in her chest with such a force that she had to kneel in order to catch her breath. Fear began to seep in and eat at her limbs as Steve's probability continued to drop. And what was worse was that she had no communication with him! There was no way for her to talk to him, only see him through the camera images that she was still connected to.

"He'll make it. Relax. He'll make it," the Hawk spoke to Mia as best and reassuringly as he could; even if the odds read against them. And now Tony was down there too! Trying to find Steve with the directional navigation Mia was transmitting to J.A.R.V.I.S..

 **2:30 - 61% Probability.**

2:29 - 58% Probability.

2:28 - 53% Probability.

The seconds ticked...Mia waited with abated breaths as the timer counted down. She couldn't just freeze the bomb, even it is was an electronic one! It was connected to the main and central system of HYDRA and Mia wasn't strong enough to go against a whole system like that yet. Not without placing herself at risk of being hacked at least.

 **1:19 - 18% Probability.**

Tears welled in her eyes. She held them in as best she could. She couldn't give in. She couldn't lose hope. But she also couldn't watch anymore as she disconnected herself from the cameras. A positive outcome to this mission seemed to be dwindling at a faster speed than possible to predict.

 **0:54 - % Unknown.**

Mia couldn't look anywhere, so she kept her teary gaze on Hawkeye as a form of distraction until the timer finished counting down. Clint had his head bowed as he waited for the worse of outcomes. This wasn't supposed to be such a high level mission, not for the 4 of them alone at least. Turns out S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't have all the information needed to proceed properly... Again, according to the sources Mia researched into. And S.H.I.E.L.D. would rue the day any harm came to her family or loved ones.

 **0:18 - % Unknown.**

 _"Doll face."_

A shuttering sob escaped Mia at Tony's voice. She prayed, she closed her eyes and prayed. Tony's jets silently whirred behind her as a hand fell on her shoulder. Surprised green eyes opened up to look at baby blue before she threw herself into his arms and held him tightly. "I hate you all. I hate this mission. I hate S.H.I.E.L.D.," she mumbled into Steve's chest as Tony and Clint chuckled. "I'm gonna grow old and have white hair before I reach 30," she whined as Steve held her just as tight.

Loud fireworks seemed to blow up in the background as the four of them made it safely into the jet. She held onto Steve's arm the whole way back as he rubbed her arm comfortingly. "I can't believe this," she whispered incredulously to herself. "Not only did Fury lie about me not getting in on the action; but, I shot someone!"Clint and Tony shared another amused look as Mia mumbled to herself. She let go of Steve long enough to let her face fall in her hands.

As far as Steve was concerned, he was going to be having a word with Fury about this mission... maybe with Tony too. Maybe there was a way to expand Mia's range without needing for her to be so near the target site. He mildly understood why she did for this mission, since the server HYDRA used was private and outside of the country... or something of the sort.

They had all made it home a bit past midnight, November 22nd. Rayne's birthday. They were all exhausted and beat. By the time Mia showered and was ready for bed, she found herself in a state of unrest. She walked around her living room bra-less, in long Apple Bottom pants, a black tank top and bunny slippers. Her hair was a disarray as she hastily put it up into a bun after washing and towel drying it. From the looks of it, her mom and cousins were in the guest pent house. Her son was probably with them because his room was empty when she entered. She had frowned because she had wanted to cuddle him and go to sleep hugging him; knowing he was safe and she was still alive.

Something ate at her continuously, forcing her to move. She was in such a bad state of mind that the next thing she registered was walking into Steve's floor. She was already there and tired by the time she realized it; worn out beyond exhaustion. No point in turning back now. "Steve?"Mia called out into his room. How she managed to navigate in the dark was beyond her since she was such a ditz.

Movement on the bed caught her eye. "Mia?" Of course he'd still be awake... That or he was a light sleeper.

"Please! Don't- just... stay where you are," she begged him. Steve did as asked and patiently waited for her to reply. A thousand things processed through his head. He should have known better than to think she'd be okay after her first mission... Yeah, he'd have to talk with Fury alright.

A dip on the edge of the bed signaled her position to him as she crawled on top of the comforter he laid in. She guided him to lay back down and slowly she rested her head on his exposed chest. "I'm sorry," she whispered as she closed her eyes and listened to his strong heart beat.

"Don't be," he murmured. He then asked J.A.R.V.I.S. to turn on the emergency night glow on the floor's edges, a soft yellow brown light helping to illuminate the red brunnette. He proceeded to roll over with her head now situated on his arm, facing his chest. This new position allowed him to place his other arm around her and bring her flush to his own. Any other night, he probably would have been self conscious about sleeping in just his boxers; but, she probably knew that since she kept the comforter between them instead of snuggling inside. He gently nudged her face with his own, letting his nose slide down her temple and cheek. A shiver ran down her body as his breath accidentally hit her neck. Steve kissed her lips gingerly as she placed a hand on his chest. Again, warmth spread throughout their bodies at the simple contact. He physically reassured her he was fine as she sighed into the kiss and pulled back. She held him tightly, her forehead falling onto his chest as the day's events finally registered completely.

Carefully, he brought Mia as close to his form as possible, letting her soak his warmth and strength as one of her legs hiked up his thigh. His large hand fell on the swell of her lower back, drawing circles with his thumb as he took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. He placed his chin atop her head as she kissed his muscled chest, running her fingers in small circles on his skin as well.

Steve made sure to keep an eye on her as she slowly succumbed to sleep. Once he was sure she completely passed out, he deemed it safe to move from underneath her. With precision and stealth for someone as built as he was, he was able to climb out of his bed and don a pair of sweats and a white tee.

He gazed at her peaceful face before walking over and slowly slipping her bunny slippers off her feet. Her nose scrunched up subconsciously at the contact and he remembered how ticklish she was there. He fixed the comforter on the bed before going over to his closet and reaching for a blanket. He was contemplating letting her sleep on his bed while he moved to the couch, it was in his nature to do so... But deep down he knew how upset she would be if he did. She did come seeking him after all, so he wouldn't dare leave her alone.

He scratched his head and racked his brain for a good alternative before giving in and sliding back on top of the bed with her. He eased her close to him once more before using the extra blanket to cover them both. She stirred as her hair fell over her face and nose. He kissed her forehead one final time before removing the strands away from her face and lovingly letting his large hand run through her locks. Her eyes fluttered at the contact, her glazed green eyes meeting his as a soft smile adorned her lips. "You're the best, Steve," she mumbled before closing her eyes permanently for the remainder of the night.

Steve held Mia closer, nuzzling the top of her head as sleep soon beckoned his eyes and mind as well.

Red, white and blue streamers decorated one of the main floors the Avengers -mostly Tony- would use for gatherings or small parties. With only five hours of sleep Mia found herself running around with a step ladder in hand and placing the final touches here and there. She was currently using her Bluetooth headset while talking with her mom about Rayne. Lee was to take the little boy out to some stores and to the park while they all finished preparing for the party.

Mid-way trying to reaching over her head, a pair of arms passed her and helped staple the design she was trying to hang for her. She turned to meet gentle baby blue eyes she was growing more and more fond of. With a sneaky smile, she looked around him before bringing herself up to peck his lips. "Good morning, handsome."

A light pink dusted his ears as he smiled at her. "Good morning, Mia." He placed his hand on her neck, letting his fingers comb through her hair as he studied her. She was up early after a late night and he had woken up to an empty bed. "How did you sleep?"

Mia quickly beamed him a smile and threw her arms around his neck. She kissed his jaw and let go with a bounce to her step. She held some more streamers in her hand as she walked away to continue working. "Wonderfully, really. Much better than I have in a while, to be honest."

Steve felt a little bit of pride swell in his chest at her words. He was glad he was able to help her, he was also happy he hadn't gone through with sleeping on the couch.

"You know, I thought you would have left the bed at some point," she turned to smile at him. "I'm glad you didn't though." She winked at him and turned back around. It was like she could read his mind.

"Did my ears deceive me or did you just say you both finally slept together?"Steve groaned, making Mia's smile grow as she walked up to Tony and gave him a morning hug and kiss. "What was that for?" Tony gave her a mischievous smile full of suspicion.

Mia shoved Tony playfully. "I never got to say thank you yesterday. And you should know better than to ask a gentleman who doesn't kiss and tell," she nudged Tony's ribs, making his own smile grow.

"So you guys _did_ sleep together!"

"Of course," was Mia's simple and unabashed reply, unaware of how red Steve was becoming.

Tony's mouth dropped for a moment. "Really?"

She gave him a deadpanned look. "No. I was joking. Trust me, you won't be the first to know if it ever happens."

"But it is a possibility."

" _Tony!_ "

"Okay. Okay." He raised his hands in defeat. "I won't ask anymore... for today."

Mia smiled and shook her head as she worked around Steve. "What brings you down here anyway?"

"I had J.A.R.V.I.S. wake me up when you did. Wanted to check up on you and your first mission." Tony spoke his words nonchalantly, waving his one hand back and forth before crossing his arms over his chest.

"Awe, Anthony. You _do_ have a heart! I'm touched."

Tony chuckled as he looked at what Mia was doing. He then smirked as his eyes fell on Steve. Time for some teasing before his departure. "Yeah, well. If it weren't for Capsicle here, I'd be touching more. In fact, I just might if he doesn't hurry up and put the moves on you already."

Mia picked up on Tony's assaulting tease meant towards Steve as she turned to face him. "That's no way to talk to a lady, Stark." Steve's voice was low and his words sounded a bit forced.

Like the billionaire without a care in the world that he was, Tony walked over towards Mia and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "It's a good thing she likes it then, right doll face... You looking a little red in the face there, Z."

Red and pink splotches covered Mia's face and ears. It wasn't that she was embarrassed completely, per say. She had grown accustomed to Tony's teasing and playful banter, she just wasn't used to acting and executing it the way Tony did. She shoved him aside and ran to Steve's side, hiding behind him with a smile. "Sorry, Tony." Her smile turned wicked as she peaked from behind Steve and wrapped her hands around his waist. "You're not my type, ya know? You kinda fall 'short' on the list of suitors."

"You mean 'small,' right?" A new voice followed by ushered excitement came from the doorway.

"Oh my god! KORY! Chris!" Mia let go of Steve and ran straight into the arms, hugs and kisses of her two favorite people in the world. Her cousin and his partner. "I missed you guys!"

A smack to her head made her laugh as Kory, a tall and skinny white boy with blue eyes and blonde hair, glared at her. "Then come visit, ain't nobody stopping you!"

Mia smiled at Kory before bringing Christopher into a tight hug. Her baby cousin was as tall as she, he was a tanned young man with dark brown hair and eyes. Both boys hugged her again while holding at least three bags in each arm before they pulled back again. "Oh, my god! Look at you." Chris cooed as he inspected her.

"Oh my, you're riiiiight," came Kory's haughty voice as he flicked Mia's, now, flat belly. "Look at you, all sexy mama." Kory winked at her before both gay men looked behind her and waved. They both said a synchronized hi before Mia introduced them to Steve. They had previously met Tony through Skype so no introductions were necessary. "She's such a horrible host," Kory joked.

"Tell me about it," muttered Tony, who raised his hands in defense again as Mia glared at him. He chuckled before giving her one final kiss to her forehead and heading out. "Mia! Get out of here, I already paid to get the place finished for you. Why don't you have your boyfriend take you out for breakfast," the man of iron yelled at her from outside the room.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Mia yelled back at Tony's parting words before looking back and having her eyes widen.

"Oh my god! Mia has a boyfriend?"

"What? And she didn't tell us?"

Both boys made her back up into Steve, who looked down at her and chuckled. "So, breakfast?" She asked meekly as she tried hiding from the boys.

"Uh-uh, you ain't getting out of this that easy." Kory joked as he jabbed Mia's stomach one more time. To her dismay, it rumbled and she changed into different shades of red. After much persuasion, involving some guilt tripping and catching up, Steve and Mia changed their clothing to go out for breakfast with the boys.

Steve wore his typical brown jacket, a fitted blue and white plaid shirt, complimentary nude trousers, dark brown shoes and some shades. Kory, being the fashionista he was, complimented Steve on his choice of attire since his own was very similar. Winter was already pretty hard, so he made sure to wear a scarf and gloves too.

Mia came down the stairs wearing a cute black and white short vintage dress with black leggings and boots. A black leather jacket covered her arms and back, her hair loose to help protect from the cold, and a white scarf. Chris and Kory twirled her around, recognizing the dress as one they had picked out for her a while back. Steve remained quiet as he studied the familial interaction, though he really couldn't take his gaze away from Mia either.

After much consideration and debates about the awful weather, they all decided on a nearby mom and pop's bakery for breakfast. Mia remained close to Steve for a good portion of their outing, getting teased by her cousins senseless and ruthlessly. Steve chuckled at how defenseless she became when it came to family versus when it was friends like Tony. Because of such, he suffered his own bit of teasing as she gave him a triumphant smirk.

After some more talking and getting to know each other, Chris finally managed to pull Mia aside. "So are you guys dating yet?"

Mia smiled, her eyes glancing at Steve. "It's complicated."

"What do you mean?"

She sighed as she looked at her baby cousin, the little lion and protector of her heart. "He's so sweet, Chris. And he's from a different era! I can't push him to do stuff, I don't wanna scare him. Besides, things are moving slow but it's so... exhilarating. And nice." Mia looked back and stared at Steve for a bit as she talked to her cousin more. "Things are moving comfortably. He's very honorable and respects me very much. You should see him with Rayne too. It's like he has a sweet spot for kids."

Chris remained quiet, studying her. After a minute of silence, Mia looked at her cousin questioningly before noticing the slight narrowing to his facial features. "You love him." It was a statement, not a question. Mia stared with her mouth agape. She'd been single for so long... She hadn't even realized she had started to fall for him in that sense. Chris smiled before hugging her and walking back to the table where his own man sat.

The remainder of the day passed by pretty quickly. Mia found herself still distracted by Christopher's words as she mulled over the possibilities. She'd been much quieter as she contemplated this, something Steve hadn't failed to notice. At their arrival back at Stark Tower, both Mia and Steve got tackled by the birthday boy who screamed and giggled as he was tickled. Steve finally had the pleasure to meet Mia's mother in person. Of course, Steve being Steve made even her mother smile sweetly at him before looking at Mia and winking. Mia was just going to be scarlet red all day and night from the looks of how things were heading.

Rayne had a lot of fun with his grandmother, telling Mia everything that happened that day and all the trouble he ran into at the park. Evening hit pretty quickly and it was soon time to start heading towards the party room.

Upon Mia's arrival, she gazed in wonder and awe at all the new designs and lights that decorated the room. Tony wasn't kidding about the decoration. There were Sonic Adventure designs all over the place. Steve, who was holding Rayne, let the kid go as he went wild about the whole room. Different characters, both good and bad, decorated different panels. And thanks to Tony's state of the art technology, some of the walls were interactive.

Some of the children from Rayne's class had showed up before them to yell and scream happy birthday. Children, being children, didn't really care to make the acquaintance of the Avengers as they ran about the room, their parents smiling in the background as Mia went to greet them. Mia had only invited people she had profiled and knew wouldn't gush about being at Stark Tower, which Tony was more than glad about as he poured himself a glass of scotch.

About an hour into the festivities, Mia's sister, Wendy, showed up with her four nephews. Though it was Rayne's birthday party, this was still the most touching gift Tony had done for Mia. She hadn't seen her sister in four years, and her nephews were all big too! Mia laughed as the kids said their hellos and then ran off to play as well. Wendy and Mia caught up for a bit before searching for their mother.

Lee was more than happy with the outcome her daughter's life was suddenly taking, even if she didn't know all the details or the extent of how dangerous this new 'job' was.

Tony and Pepper laughed and joked with everyone, having a good time while watching the kids. Mia could easily describe the look Pepper had in her eyes as longing, so maybe she might try and convince Tony for a child some day soon. Natasha and Clint were, unfortunately, on a mission again, but they had made time to Skype and wish Rayne a happy birthday. They left behind some gifts for the tyke in his room too; told him he had to find them. Thor showed up late, but Mia was more than grateful he was able to make it as Rayne screamed and ran towards one of his new favorite 'uncles.'

Bruce had said his peace before the party had started, which Mia understood completely as there was chaos and screaming everywhere. The adults mingled while the children played until it was time to sing and cut the cake. Rayne, deciding he wanted to see everyone and everything, asked Steve to lift him. Smiling, Steve obliged and sat him over his shoulders while everyone began to sing. He held onto Rayne's legs with one hand and placed his other on Mia's waist, bringing her closer. She looked up and smiled at both men in her life with a smile.

Many gifts and exchanges later, the party came to a nice ending. Rayne was nearing exhaustion, with tiny little bags under his eyes as he asked to be picked up. Steve offered to take him from Mia as they said their farewells to everyone. Mia assured her family that they would catch up within the week since they would be staying in the pent house for a while before their own departure. Everyone helped clean up after the children were taken to bed before the adult party started, much to Tony's delight. Mia's mom stayed for an extra hour before heading to bed herself. Pepper soon followed as well since she had to be up early.

Mia currently found herself swaying side to side to some club song that was playing with Wendy and Chris as Kory sat at the bar drinking beer after beer. Mia was more than ecstatic. It felt like everything was normal again, before the accident. She looked up and around as the thought occurred to her. She was so caught up with all her friends and family, she almost lost track of Steve who sat at the bar with Kory and Thor. He caught her gaze and smiled. The smile alone almost melted her to the spot, or maybe it was the slow effect of the gin affecting her. Regardless of what it was, she smiled back and blushed a little as she looked away.

Little by little, one by one, everyone started leaving and going to bed. Mia kissed and hugged her family good night as they retired to their temporary rooms. Mia had managed to grab Steve and hold him back as everyone left. He looked at her a little questioningly before she turned around and started to fumble with the electronic devices Tony kept around the place.

Once she was done, she ran back up to Steve and took a hold of his hands, pulling him towards the center. He chuckled at her struggle to move him, so he complied with her wishes. "May I ask what you're up to?"

Mia beamed at him. "Dancing."

Steve stopped. "Dancing?... I don't dance,Mia."

An airy laugh escaped Mia. "Of course you do, Steve. You just never practice." A familiar song he'd heard before came on, a slow one he remembered hearing on the radio... many years ago. "Come on, it's not fair I got to dance with everyone but you." She pouted playfully. "I was looking forward to it too."

Steve sighed, smiling and shaking his head, giving in as he lead her into a slow, almost, ballroom type of dance. He surprised her with a twirl here or there, making her stumble onto him one last time before she latched her arms around his neck. They stayed swaying back and forth, embracing each other and gazing into the others eyes. "Thank you, Steve."

He continued to smile at her. "What for?"

"I've had," she sighed contently. "An amazing day."

"I've hardly done anything today deserving of a thank you or praise,Mia."

She smiled before looking away and hugging him, both still swaying to the low and slow music that played in the background. "You have," she mumbled as they stopped dancing. "It's the small things you do that make me-"Mia bit her lip, stopping herself from saying anything further.

Steve heard her pause, but he wouldn't have any of that this night as he placed his hand underneath her chin and made her look at him. He stared into her green eyes and urged her to continue.

She sighed, running her fingertips through his temple and hair. He followed her movements with his eyes, noticing the soft expression on her face. "How you put up with me, I'll never know," she murmured as she looked up at his taller frame and entwined her fingers together behind his neck. "Steve, I!" She perked up before letting her head fall on his chest. "I like you a lot," she mumbled into his chest in defeat.

Mia's head bobbed gently as he chuckled. The music in the background changed as Steve brought her hands onto his chest and then held her closer. He stopped swaying to the music and brought her chin up to meet him. He gave her his signature side smile before kissing the tip of her nose. Steve laughed as Mia's face scrunched up and she stuck her tongue out.

"Mia?"

"Hmm?"

"Would you like to go out with me?"

Mia paused as she pushed back and then looked toward the window. "Now?! It's nearing midnight."

Steve chuckled again, catching her attention as he placed his hands on her arms. He shook his head as he spoke, "That's not _exactly_ what I had in mind."

"Oh..."Seconds passed quietly as Mia stared at Steve, making him a bit nervous before she smiled. "Are you asking me out, _out_? Like, officially 'out?'"Mia couldn't help but tease him.

"Yes," he chuckled again. "I'd like to ask you out. Officially. Out."

"Then you'll be disappointed, because I accept." She tried smirking nonchalantly but couldn't help the huge grin that was now plastered on her lips. She was so happy she leapt in his arms, pressing her lips to his joyously.

* * *

 ** _A/N:_** _I do not own Marvel. All rights reserved to their respective owners. All I own is the plot and original characters. Also, I've only ever seen the first C.A. movie. So I apologize profusely if he's OOC. He's not exactly my favorite Avenger (though I am trying to like him more), so I was trying out something new while making this story a little more personal. Please leave me some feedback. It's always greatly appreciated._


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